26 May 2023

Principal’s Report

Welcome back to Term 2.

We have now occupied the redevelopment for one whole year! To acknowledge and celebrate our amazing school and the growth we have achieved we believe it is timely to embrace a new vision for Devonport High School moving forward. We would like to hear from families your vision for our school. Have Your Say by completing this short survey. Please use the link provided. https://bit.ly/DHSHYS2023

To mark a new beginning our school uniform will adopt our namesake colours of navy blue and green. This has been widely agreed upon in consultation with families, staff, students and the School Association over the past 12 months. This will affect the polo shirt only and will be phased in over time. An addition to our school uniform will be a hoodie, unanimously agreed upon by all stakeholders. More information will proceed this newsletter.

On Monday a panel of principals will be spending three days interacting with staff and students to gauge information to support us in determining the strategic direction of our school over the next 5 years. Exciting times ahead!
As part of the Federal Labor Government’s Schools Upgrade Fund we have been fortunate to receive $20,000 to refurbish our music department. Mr Weeks was ecstatic!

In Week 1 we held a special assembly to induct our Aspiring Leaders. Congratulations to the successful candidates from Years 7-9.

As you may have noticed on social media Devonport High School students were successful in winning the North West Science and Engineering Challenge. They secured a place in the State Final in Hobart.  

This week we held our annual school Cross Country Carnival at Fulton Park over two days. Students spent the first half of the day running the cross country event and the second part of the day participating in year based activities focussing on team work, co-operation and relationship building.

Thank you to all parents/carers who have informed the school of their child’s absence. Attending school every day has a big impact on how well your child goes at school and has a positive effect on student learning. Parents/carers are required to ensure their child attends school every day and have an obligation to contact the school to notify the school of their child’s absence. DECYP has a strong focus on improving attendance and engagement in schools. 

Science and Engineering Challenge North West Final

The Devonport High School Team recently won the Science and Engineering Challenge North West Final and qualified for the State Final that was held in Hobart on Tuesday at the University of Tasmania.

Our team of thirty-one students all arrived on time for the 5:15am departure from DHS…the first challenge!
Working in small groups, the team faced similar challenges to the North West Final but with added complexity, such as less materials to build bridges and towers, and more difficult scenarios to solve.

Showing great team work, a number of groups won their challenges and excelled in others. The Team finished 5th overall, with the greatest achievement being the skills learnt along the way in working together to solve challenging tasks.

Andrea McQuitty, Science Teacher

Cross Country

The annual school Cross Country was run and won over two days on Tuesday 23 and Wednesday 24 May. With perfect running conditions on Tuesday and damp slippery conditions on Wednesday, motivated students took to the challenging trails of Fulton Park for a day of fun and adventure.

A change to the course this year meant all students were faced with a few steep and tricky descents as they made their way around the course. Throw into the mix a bit of drizzle on Wednesday and it was a course made for a few laughs along the way.

After the competition was done and dusted students were kept busy with a range of activities including an obstacle course where problem solving and teamwork were put to the test, invasion games and the challenging slack lining and Ninja Lines.

There were a number of fantastic individual efforts throughout the day from students that finished at the top of their field or from students that competed with the goal of finishing the course. Well done to everyone involved.

Congratulations to those students whose aspiration placed them at the top of their field in our intra school carnival. A team will now be selected to represent Devonport High School at the upcoming Inter High Cross Country. We wish the team every success.

Our champion house and Individual Champions will be announced during our next whole school assembly.

PE Department

Vaping

Information from Department for Education, Children and Young People

Vaping and young people

The rising number of children and young people vaping is a growing issue of concern in our community.  

Electronic cigarettes (vapes) can be appealing to young people due to bright colours and flavours. But no vapes are safe as they are often full of harmful chemicals and nicotine.  For this reason, vapes can be addictive and harmful for lungs, brain development and general health.  

It is important to talk to your children about vaping. Try to be understanding, compassionate and non-judgemental as you support them to learn more about the dangers of vaping or in seeking support to quit.

Information on what vaping is, the impacts and how to support your child is available on the new Department for Education, Children and Young People webpage on vaping, which can be accessed here:

New Funding for Devonport High School

A happy, safe learning environment is so important for students, teachers, and school communities. 
As Duty Senator for Braddon, I was very pleased to recently announce Devonport High School will receive $20,000 for repairs or maintenance to school facilities, and refurbishing classrooms.

The funding is part of the Federal Labor Government’s Schools Upgrade Fund and delivers on an important 2022 election commitment.

Devonport High is one of twenty schools in the North West and West Coast that will receive a share of over $455,000 in funding.

More than 1,300 schools nationally will benefit from $32 million in grants to upgrade school infrastructure and equipment.

I am looking forward to visiting the school in the near future.

Senator Anne Urquhart
Duty Labor Senator for Braddon
Chief Government Whip in the Senate 

YEP! Program

The Commissioner for Children and Young People is excited to announce that our YEP! program is officially launching on 9 May 2023. Your Engagement Place (YEP!) is a place where children and young people under the age of 18 can find ways to engage with CCYP and other organisations around Tasmania to have a voice on things that matter to them. Any child and young person aged under 18 who registers before 9 June enters the membership draw for a chance to win an iPad. Children and young people can register here.

You can check out our YEP! hub now by visiting our new CCYP website. If you are an adult and would like to keep up to date with current engagement opportunities available to children and young people in Tasmania, fill out our adult subscription form.

Should you have any questions at all about the new program or wish to promote an ethical engagement opportunity open to young Tasmanians, please do not hesitate to email us at childcomm@childcomm.tas.gov.au or call us on (03) 6166 1366.

Junior Travel Assistance Program

Backing Tasmania’s sporting stars of the future

Tasmania’s young star athletes can now apply for new Government funding to help with the costs of travelling to represent the State in their chosen sport.

Minister for Sport and Recreation, Nic Street, said every young Tasmanian with an ambition to represent their state or country in their chosen sport should have the opportunity to do so.

“We want young Tasmanian athletes to dream big, and we’re putting the supports in place to help them realise those dreams,” he said.

“In March, I was pleased to announce the creation of the Junior Travel Assistance Program. Now, the guidelines have been finalised and applications are open.”

Athletes aged 12 – 18 years are eligible to apply for a one-off grant of $250 to attend national championships within Australia if they’ve been selected to represent Tasmania in a sport recognised by the Australian Sports Commission.

The Program will have two rounds to provide an equal share of funding to sports that occur at separate times of the year. Round one opens from today and closes on November 1, and round two will open on November 2, 2023, and close on May 30, 2024.

Sport and Recreation, which will become Active Tasmania from July 1, will assess all applications, and advise all applicants of the outcome.

“Based on the feedback I have received since announcing the Junior Travel Assistance Program, I’m confident this program will be very well received and make a genuine difference to Tasmanian families by alleviating some of the costs involved in sending a young athlete to a national championship,” Minister Street said.

“We know that sport is an important part of many young Tasmanians lives. It has benefits, not only for physical health and fitness, but also provides valuable social opportunities like being part of a team."

More information on the program including guidelines and applications is now available at sportrec.tas.gov.au.

Breakfast Club – Devonport Chaplaincy

Breakfast Club is on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays before school from 8:00am onwards. Everyone is welcome to come along.

Darra Boerma, Chaplain

Canteen

Healthy Cuisine a Division of Devonfield Enterprises Inc. will again be providing a canteen for students at school offering a variety of fresh and healthy food. Click here to view the menu.